Pre-punched and pull tab answer card



M. R. HALE 2,798,669

FREE-PUNCHED AND PULL TAB ANSWER CARD July 9, 1957 Filed Oct. 18, 1954 :Re onal Heel no Vite Pu" Z513 Please sign here H j unt account, each awn2;q5shnul:i slgn- I Dated v f 6 l P k 5 7/. /5

ANSWER CARD 'nfls card will be graded bq machine. Select 'qour ahsuer bq Pulling tabs Tom 'lhe chosen column.

YES 5? N A finkees wlll win Pennant,

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a. [favor your Product. ;,fi: 39p

TRUE 4 Rome was built lna daq. '*|:l1| l 6.A|lraad5 lead to Rome, 5?

58 F7 M 6 j j: 5 5 44 42 J 57 8 4 INVENTOR- 17.51 4? MERLE R. HALE Arm/m5) United States Patent PRE-PUNCHED AND PULL TAB ANSWER CARD Merle R. Hale, Bellmore, N. Y.

Application October 18, 1954, Serial No. 462,979

2 Claims. (Cl. 235=-61.12)

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in answer cards used for voting, testing, surveys and the like.

More particularly, the present invention proposes the construction of an improved prepunched and pull tab answer card which can be used simply, conveniently and easily by persons of various ages and mentality to record answers or indicate choices.

As a further object, the present invention proposes forming the prepunched and pull tab answer card so that a person can record his answers merely by pulling a selected pull tab ribbon from a pull tab opening or openings.

Still further, the present invention proposes constructing the card, ribbon tabs and tab openings in such a way that the card can be collated, tallied, graded or otherwise handled mechanically by business machines or in a similar automatic or semi-automatic manner.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a prepunched and pull tab answer card constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary View of a portion of Fig. 2.

Figs. 4, and 6 are sectional views taken on lines 4-4, 5-5 and 6-6, respectively, of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a front view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modification of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view 'of one of the ribbon tabs shown on Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 7.

The prepunched and pull tab answer card, in accordance with the first form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, is generally designated by the reference numeral 15 and is shown as a proxy but may be made in any foam desired for reply or answer card use.

As illustrated, the prepunched and pull tab answer card 15 comprises a card 16 made of cardboard, paper or like stiflly flexible material which is of a shape to be handled by business machines, having side edges 17 and 18, end edge 19 with notches 20, and end edge 21 with a clipped corner 22.

Card 16 contains the usual proxy language and instead of having the usual boxes or spaces for voting choices, the card contains a plurality of pairs of spaced slot tab openings 23 and 24. These tab openings 23 and 24 may be the usual openings punched or otherwise formed by business machines or for use in such machines.

A plurality of ribbons or ribbon tabs 25 of different color than the card, as for instance, red, are provided for the card. The ribbon tabs 25 are made of flexible material more flexible than the card and preferably of plastic such as cellophane. Each ribbon tab 25 has ends 26 and 27 and front and rear sides 28 and 29. The ribbon tabs 25 are each threaded through one pair of the spaced tab openings 23 and 24 in the card and the ends 26 and 27 of each ribbon are disposed on the front side or face 30 of the card. The ribbon tabs 25 are slidably but fric-tionally held in the slot openings 23 and 24 of the card.

When the recipient of the proxy card 15 wishes to indicate his voting choices on the card, he merely pulls the :ribbon tab from the pair of spaced slot openings 23 and 24 which he selects. For example, if the recipient of the proxy card favors lower pensions, he pulls the ribbon tab under For. If he is not in favor of lower pensions, he pulls the ribbon tab under Against. Likewise, if he wants regional meetings, he pulls the tab under For and if he does not want the corporation to provide directors with salaries he pulls the tab from the spaced slot openings under Against. The results of his choices can be instantly seen or mechanically tallied by a business machine since the unpulled ribbon tabs will block the unselected openings in the card.

The preferred form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 is characterized by the provision of a prepunched and pull tab answer card 35 having a card 36 adapted for use in business machines and the like and having various questions or reply choices printed on the front face 37 thereof with two columns, one for Yes and True and the other for No or False, these words being printed over or in the columns. Also disposed in the columns are spaced slot ribbon openings 38 prepunched or otherwise formed in the card and extending through it.

Ribbon tabs 39 each having ends 4d and 41 and front and rear sides 42 and 43 are provided removably to cover the openings 38. The ribbon tabs 39 have adhesive backing 44 on one side and the tacky adhesive terminates short of the ends so that the ends may be freely grasped. The tabs 39 preferably are made of flexible material such as collophane and colored differently than the card. Tabs 39 are stuck on the card and cover the openings 38 with the free ends of each tab disposed on the front of the card so that any tab can easily be stripped from the opening it overlies.

The tacky adhesive substance may also be provided on the front face 37 of the answer card 35 adjacent the opening 38 (and then the ribbon tab may be pressed against the tacky surface to close the opening 38. This opening may be made of any desirable width, size or shape.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1. A prepunched and pull tab answer card comprising a body of cardboard material having printed matter on one 'of its surfaces including matter indicating pro and con answers, said body having pairs of closely spaced slots associated with said pro and con indications, and a removable short ribbon passing through each pair of slots with the body of the ribbon snugly covering the surface of the material of the body between the slots of the pair on the side opposite the printed side of the body and with its free end portions extending laterally of the pair of slots along the printed side of the body and being adapted to be grasped for pulling the ribbon through and out of the pair of slots in order to expose said pair of slots and to register a pro and con answer.

2. A prepunched and pull tab answer card comprising a body of cardboard material having printed matter on one of its surfaces including a column of propositions, said body having a pair of slotsopp'osite each proposition, a second pair of slots opposite said first pair of slots, said printed matter including the term Yes above the first column of pairs of SlOtSlfllld the term Noabove the second column of pairs of slots, and a short removable ribbon passing through each pair of slotswith the" 4, slots alongthe printed side of the body and being adapted to be grasped for pulling the ribbon through and out of the pair of slots in order to expose said pair of slots and to register a Yes or No answer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,244,231 Arrnbruster June 3, 1941 2,478,274 Johnson Aug. 9, 1949 2,502,785 Gottschalk Apr. 4, 1950 2,709,001 Stahl May 24, 1955 

